Review: Stupid Boy by Cindy Miles

Reviewed by Joanna

We’re back at Winston College, this time with Harper, a polished, wealthy socialite. Our girl is high profile and president of the Deltas, but nobody truly knows her, and they certainly know nothing of her past and her bruising dark secrets. Kane’s our hero, the similarly damaged and delicious foster brother to Brax from book one. That lovely Boston accent is back. Ahhcent.

“Kane McCarthy. Mysteriously quiet and attractive. Street kid. Foster kid. From Boston. And he was here to run bets during football season. Not much to know about a person, and what there was to know was pretty shady and a little frightening.“

In book one, we had all the angst with Brax and Olivia, and I was hoping for a similar meeting-of-souls tale. Miles delivered.

“I pushed her hair over her shoulder. “So there you are,” I murmured. She tilted her head. “What do you mean?” I traced her lips with my thumb. “I’ve been looking for you my whole life.””

Harper lost her parents when she was eight years old, and she hid in their disgusting kitchen with their bodies until a police detective found her. Yup. Straight up with the torment. She went from frying pan to fire with her insane but über-rich grandmother turning her into a Sloane. A puff piece. She had to wear the right clothes, get the right grades, never let the family name of Belle down, and she had to forget all about her parents and her past.

The main plot point of book one was around the male sorority daring members to sleep with virgin girls. This disgusts Harper and her ladies, so they create their own dare – take on a player and reform him. Kane, whose numbers-running makes money for a secret purpose, is Harper’s target. Or is she his? The draw between them – Miles writes great chemistry – is far more.

“Fear is our common factor, Harper,” he said, and his words washed over me like warm, honeyed breath. “Broken recognizes broken. It’s also what sets us apart.”

This is dual perspective, and it doesn’t get too down about the bad bits. What I like about this writer is the bouncing nature of the tale, the skipping through the scenes, focusing on the fun and the moments of joy. Nothing drags.

I also very much liked the switcheroo in the tale – usually it’s the girl who’s the victim of the dare and ends up hurt (as in book one). I’ve read this so many times. In this case it’s the guy, and the reversal in who felt bad and who to feel bad for was refreshing.

The last third bugged me a little, as I wanted Harper and Kane together in certain scenes and I didn’t understand why they weren’t. But if that is my only complaint about the book, then big deal. It’s HEA, and I’m happy.